The UK government has unveiled fresh investment in grassroots sport, pledging an additional £10 million to improve community facilities, as the Football Foundation celebrated its 25th

anniversary at a Downing Street reception.

Hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 16 March, the event brought together leading figures from across the sporting world, including former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss. The evening highlighted the crucial role local sports facilities play in shaping healthier communities and nurturing future elite athletes.

Marking a quarter-century of impact, the Football Foundation—a partnership between the government, The Football Association and the Premier League—has invested more than £1.3 billion into grassroots sport. Its work includes building or upgrading over 1,300 3G pitches, improving more than 15,000 grass pitches, and developing over 1,700 changing facilities nationwide.

Speaking at the reception, Starmer emphasized the importance of accessible sports infrastructure, drawing from his own experience as a long-time football player. He stressed that quality facilities are essential for encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to stay active.

The newly announced funding package includes targeted support for multiple sports. At least £2.5 million will go to the Lawn Tennis Association to develop covered courts for tennis, padel, and other activities. Another £2.5 million will be allocated to the England and Wales Cricket Board to build all-weather, multi-sport domes. Additional funding will support innovative approaches to financing community sports projects.

Beyond infrastructure, the government also aims to improve how funding is distributed. By working more closely with local authorities and sporting bodies, officials hope to better identify community needs and ensure investments reach areas where they can have the greatest impact. This strategy forms part of a broader commitment to invest more than £400 million in grassroots sports facilities during the current Parliament, with the goal of eliminating regional disparities in access to sport.

The event also celebrated the 20th anniversary of Premier League Kicks, an initiative launched in 2006 in partnership with the Metropolitan Police. The programme now supports 93 clubs across the Premier League, English Football League and National League, offering free weekly football sessions and educational workshops for young people, particularly in underserved communities.

As the government prepares to outline further long-term investment plans, the latest funding boost signals a continued focus on grassroots sport as a foundation for public health, social inclusion, and athletic development across the UK.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said:

“Behind every sporting great, there’s a community club where it all began. Grassroots facilities are where the love of sport is born and they matter just as much today as they ever have. 

Twenty-five years ago, the Football Foundation was set up with an ambition to give every community the grassroots facilities it needs, and the results have been extraordinary. Over the last year alone we’ve funded almost 1,000 projects across the country - reaching underserved areas and opening doors for women and girls. 

Now we want to go further, widening the offer so more people have a sport they can call their own. Every generation deserves the chance to discover what sport can do for them”.

The Football Foundation CEO, Robert Sullivan said:

“This evening’s reception at Downing Street has provided an opportunity to celebrate the importance of community sports across the country. Thanks to the generous support of our funding partners, The FA, the Premier League and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Football Foundation has invested nearly £1.3 billion over the last 25 years to improve grassroots facilities across the country. 

We know that great facilities do more than support health and wellbeing: they bring communities together, particularly in the places where our investment is needed most.

At the core of our work are Local Football Facility Plans, developed in partnership with local authorities, County FAs and other community stakeholders. 

These plans are a blueprint for providing the grassroots football facility improvements that will deliver where need is greatest and impact is strongest.  It is a testament to the effectiveness of these plans that the Government are taking forward the Local Community Sport Facilities Plans that we’ve been piloting this year so far. We look forward to continuing this work to provide every community in the country with a great place to play”.

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters said: 

“It is thanks to the incredible football we see week in, week out in the Premier League that we are able to invest so widely in all areas of the game, including grassroots football and communities. As part of our current More Than A Game initiative we are celebrating 20 years of our longest-standing community programme, Premier League Kicks, and the positive impact it has had on over 600,000 young people across England and Wales. 

We are also proud to have delivered long-term investment into grassroots and non-league football through the Football Foundation and Premier League Stadium Fund. This has benefited clubs throughout the non-league system and women’s game, as well as more than 125,000 grassroots teams up and down the country”.

CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Richard Gould said: 

“We’ve already seen how these pioneering all-weather cricket domes can open up our sport to many more people and have a transformative impact on communities. 

With this Government commitment of a further £2.5m to part-fund a further four projects, more parts of England and Wales will benefit. 

Hosting this summer’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a golden opportunity to inspire a generation to fall in love with cricket, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Government to give more people in other areas access to top quality facilities”.

Lawn Tennis Association, Chief Executive, Scott Lloyd said:  

“Covered tennis and padel facilities are vital for getting more people of all ages on court all year round, but we know many communities lack access to these.  

We welcome this funding, that will allow us to pilot the new facilities initially, and we look forward to working with the Government to deliver a nationwide portfolio of much-needed community facilities in the future”.

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Simon Hayes said: 

“Sport England research shows that every £1 invested in community sport generates over £4 for the economy and society, so today’s announcement is a win for us all. Sport makes us happier, healthier, wealthier and more connected”.